WSN Service

 CHANDIGARH: Mr Gian Sharma Warrant Officer of Punjab and Haryana High Court had a miraculous escape from death as he was fired upon by a C.R.P.F. man at Ropar on June 8 when the former went there to raid a government of India torture chamber in search of Mr Balbir Singh and his wife Gurnam Kaur of Daon village.

The Sikh couple was illegally picked up by Indian security forces according to their lawyer Prof Bhupinder Singh who filed a habeas corpus petition before H.S.Bedi of Punjab and Haryana High Court with request that the court appoint an official to raid certain places in Ropar district to rescue the couple and to produce them alive before the court.

The judge issued reviving hit warrants empowering the court official Mr Gian Sharma to raid all possible places to locate the couple together with lawyer Bhupinder Singh.

In his report submitted in writing on June 10,1991 the court official informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court judge that a C_R.P-F. Naik (a junior official in the Government of India’s security organization) Mohar Singh fired upon him even after he had disclosed his identity to him as well as the purpose of his visit.

The official said that he (along with the lawyer) reached the C.I.A. Staff campus near the Sutlej at Ropar on June 8 at 6:55 p.m. Hans Raj Constable No 423 was on sentry duty at the time. The sentry did not allow us to enter into the premises One Mohar Singh who was in plain clothes and who described himself as a Naik of the C.R.P.F. Bolted the door from inside. After a while Mohar Singh came out in uniform. i asked him to open the door after I had given my identification to him so that could perform my Official duty. The Naik said he did not care for the court order. He asked us to leave the place in no time Otherwise he threatened he would shoot me (and the lawyer) dead.

The court official then narrated firing incident and said the Naik’s shot whizzed past his feet. After the firing the Naik again asked the court official to clear out within two minutes or else face death.

Mr Gian Sharma and lawyer Bhupinder Singh thought it wise to leave their mission unfinished. They reached the residence of Senior Superintendent of Police Mr Mohammed Mustafa at Ropar itself and explained to him the entire position. The report quoted the S.S.P as telling them that he was already aware of the incident. He assured the warrant officer that the detenues would be released by the S.H.O. Kharar and that he had issued necessary instructions to him.

At 7:45 p.m the warrant officer reached Kharar police station and recorded his arrival in the police Roznamcha (daily register) at serial No 31 dated 8/6/91 but the S-HO. showed ignorance of the detenues The warrant officer and the lawyer then proceeded to Chandigarh. Since Daon village is located near the G.T. Road they thought it advisable to have another look at the residence of the Sikh couple Guam Kaur was present in the house and she told the court official that the police had just then left her in front of her house after her detention for several days. But the court official did not see the husband who still remains untraced.

The High Court judge meanwhile issued contempt of court notice to the S.SP. Ropar the Naik and the sentry concerned as well as to the State of Punjab.

Going by the past record of the Punjab and Haryana High Court it will be a miracle if it proceeds meaningfully to punish the arrogant officials of the Indian govt. The courts virtually are helpless. The field officials have the powerful Support from the Union Home Ministry and the Prime Minister’s house. There is NO question of any punishment of any security forces because according to govt authorities any such action would demoralize™ the forces who had been carrying on a holy war against Sikh militants and their supporters.

From Mustafa’s statement to the warrant officer it is evident that the security forces manning countless torture chambers in Punjab have Standing instructions not to brook any interference in their work from any court and if necessary to kill any such official trying to raid and locate the Sikhs being tortured there.

Notwithstanding the tall-claims made by the Indian missions abroad the stark reality in Punjab today is that the Sikhs have been left with no remedy to undo the wrongs done to them and the Ropar incident is the latest confirmation of the state of affairs in Punjab.

Article extracted from this publication >>